HISTORY

Born as Shinta, after his parents died Kenshin was sold into slavery. When the slave traders caravan were attacked, Kenshin was saved by his soon to be master Seijuro Hiko. Hiko renamed Shinta to Kenshin, which stands for Ken (sword) and Shin (heart). After years of training Kenshin decided to abandon his master and serve to protect the Choshu clan by way of being an assasin. This is how Kenshin becomes known as the Hitokiri Battosai; or Battosai the Man Slayer because of all the murders and assasinations he commits. During this time he meets his future wife Tomoe. She is eventually killed by Kenshin's sword when she jumps infront of him to avoid him recieveing a fatal blow, but getting slashed by Kenshin's sword in the process. Doing so, the knife she held finished the "X" shaped scar on Kenshin's face. After this Kenshin decided to leave this life and become a Rouroni, or wandering swordsman.

TECHINQUE

Kenshin's fighting style is known as HIten Mitsurugi-Ryu, or Flying Heaven Honorable Sword Style. This style is the type that most of its techniques have Kenshin sheath his sword for maximum speed when going to slash his opponent.

After Kenshin's Battousai stage of his life, he carries around a Sakabat, which is a katana with a reverse blade, so when Kenshin uses it he does not kill his opponent, because of his sworn oath not to kill another man.

CROSS SHAPED SCAR

One of Kenshin's most distinctive traits is his "X" shaped scar on his face. The scar was made on 2 seperate occasions. The first was made when Kenshin fought an assasin. After recieving the scar it would bleed from time to time, representing all the people he had slain as Battousai the Man Slayer, showing that he could never have peace as long as he was doing this work. The second part of the scar was giving to Kenshin by his dying wife Tamoe. Tamoe jumped in front of Kenshin's slashing sword to save him from a fatal blow while he was fighting an enemy. Tamoe died in the process, by Kenshin's hand, and made the "X" on Kenshin's face so that he would always remember her and change his ways.